COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS
CFD has a multitude of applications, and PDL engineers have gained significant expertise in these applications through many years of activity in risk-averse industries, on some of the most technically challenging projects, to some of the most notable national and international companies in a wide range of sectors.
Computational Fluid Dynamics, or CFD, is the application of numerical analysis to solve problems that involve fluid flows, possibly combined with other physics as in Thermo Hydraulics. When asked to provide a CFD example, the typical answer may well be the evaluation of drag coefficients around a body, maybe with the aim of reducing drag and hence improving speed on a Formula One car, or to minimise hydrodynamic drag and thus fuel consumption in a cargo ship. However, CFD has a multitude of applications, and we have gained significant expertise in these applications through many years of activity in risk-averse industries.
Our engineers, typically educated to Masters or Doctorate level, have access to two of the most respected and industry standard CFD codes — ANSYS CFX and ANSYS Fluent. These codes, with the correct guidance from the user, can simulate compressible and incompressible flow, subsonic and supersonic behaviour, static and transient systems and thermally buoyant flow and can be coupled to structural solutions in either a one way or two-way fluid-structure-interaction (FSI). All engineering analysis is conducted under the auspices of our ISO 9001:2015 compliant quality management system; we use our proprietary Analysis Plan to ensure the project brief is met, without fail.
In order to solve CFD problems in timeframes that meet the needs of the project, our engineers will firstly ensure that the most pragmatic and straightforward approach is adopted. However, they also have access to high-powered multi-core workstations, high-performance-computer (HPC) licences and an in-house Dell compute cluster. For bigger tasks, a proven relationship with Edinburgh University EPCC and access to their Cray supercomputing resource will ensure that timescales, subject to security aspects, can be met.”